It is well-born to be thankful, and Americans know it well. It is precisely thanksgiving that is the central pillar of one of their most popular traditions:
Thanksgiving. One of their most familiar holidays, even more so than Christmas, which will be celebrated on 23 November.
Are you preparing your trip and are you going to spend Thanksgiving Day in New York?
Today in our diary we bring you everything you need to know to experience this day like a true New Yorker.
We're tired of seeing Thanksgiving scenes in movies and TV series. You probably know that turkey is the star of the menu in every house and, for the last few years, you probably also know that this day is the eve of Black Friday and marks the start of the holiday season.
Since 1941, Thanksgiving Day has been celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. But this was not always the case. It was the business interests of the then head of Macy's department store, Fred Lazarus Jr. that caused the holiday to be moved up a week. One more week so that his shops would be full of people buying presents and Christmas decorations. And so it was that
Roosevelt himself
brought Thanksgiving forward .
However, the celebration of this day goes back a few years, a little over 300 years to be precise. It seems that the origin of the holiday can be traced back to 1621 in Plymouth Colony. It seems that a group of settlers (whose provenance gives rise to some contradictions) arrived here during the cold winter of 1620. Their food supplies soon became scarce and disease raged among the population. It was then that some native Indians came to their aid and taught them how to till their land so that they could get food. The settlers were so grateful that they held a celebration and offered them the food they had been able to obtain thanks to their help. And so, from then on, every year the families of the colony began to get together to give thanks for all that they had achieved that year. The custom spread until the whole of the United States made this family tradition their own.
Well, now that you know a little more about the history of this holiday, let's tell you what you can do in New York if you spend Thanksgiving Day there.
One of the must-see events is the Macy's parade. Yes, the same department store that managed to move up the date is the same department store that runs one of the biggest events in the city. The Macy's parade attracts millions of spectators who enjoy it live or on their televisions. A 4-kilometre route in which large balloons and floats are the stars of the show.
The parade starts at 77th Street next to Central Park and ends at Macy's. A tip? If you decide to watch the parade live and not from the comfort of a TV, try to be at the beginning of the parade, between 66th and 77th. There are a lot of people all along the route, but as you get closer to Macy's, the number of people grows exponentially!
Another Thanksgiving classic is the turkey, the quintessential Thanksgiving menu item. If you're in New York, you can't miss the opportunity to enjoy it like a true New Yorker, but fortunately, you don't have to be in New York to enjoy this Thanksgiving tradition!
If you're not going to be able to enjoy Thanksgiving in New York, you can always organise a dinner with friends and cook up a nice turkey. Here's a secret?
Handmade granola is a perfect partner for turkey, specifically turkey stuffing. Yes, granola is not just for snacks, breakfasts and salads. It can also become a perfect ingredient for meat stuffing and side dishes.
If this year you feel like joining one of the most popular traditions of New Yorkers (and the rest of Americans), prepare a delicious turkey recipe with granola, enjoy it and get ready for Black Friday!
